Cambodia South Coast

Cambodia's southern bays and islands: the riverside town of Kampot, Kep's crab market, Koh Rong, and Sihanoukville.

Cambodia's south coast refers to the provinces of Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep along the Gulf of Thailand, the country's only seaside resort area, with a slower and more unspoiled pace than Thailand's islands. Kampot is a French colonial riverside town, surrounded by the world-famous Kampot pepper plantations, the abandoned colonial hill station and misty mountain views of Bokor National Park, salt fields and river sunset cruises. Neighboring Kep is known for its crab market and seaside promenade, and from here you can take a boat to Rabbit Island. Sihanoukville is Cambodia's main port and gateway; it has changed a great deal through recent development, and most visitors use it only as a transit point, taking fast boats to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, where white-sand beaches stretch for kilometers and bioluminescent plankton glow at night. We suggest 2–3 days in Kampot and Kep and 3–4 days on Koh Rong. Buses and trains connect from Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh–Kampot–Sihanoukville), and Sihanoukville Airport has domestic and international flights. Electricity, internet and medical facilities on the islands are limited, so bring cash (US dollars are widely accepted).

Destinations

• Kampot
• Sihanoukville

Itineraries

• Angkor to the Coast: Cambodia Grand Loop – Travel from north to south covering Angkor, Battambang, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Kep, and Koh Rong.
• Kep, Kampot & Koh Rong Sanloem Southern Coast – Head south from Phnom Penh to feast on Kep crabs, visit Kampot pepper farms, and relax on Koh Rong Sanloem.
• Chi Phat Cardamom Rainforest & Kampot – Travel from Phnom Penh to Chi Phat for community-based trekking, then head to Kampot for rivers and pepper.